* Three Rock Rovers will travel to Barcelona in January 2010 to take part in the 62nd running of the prestigious Three Kings Tournament.
The tournament attracts some of the world’s top club teams with previous winners making up a who’s who of European club hockey with Club de Campo, RC Polo, Uhlenhorst, Harvesthuder, Southgate, Club Egara, Bloemendaal, Grange, Reading, Cannock and Leuven all with their name etched on the trophy.
The invitation is the first received by an Irish club and came in the wake of Rovers’ run to the KO16 in the EHL with the Spanish club making contact in Hamburg. The tournament runs in conjunction with the Three Kings Festival in the city.
* Ulster champions Cookstown have announced Stephen Cuddy will take over the coaching reins at Coolnafranky this coming season after Geoff Hamilton stepped down.
He will co-coach with Coach of the Year nominee Michael Haycock.
He will co-coach with Coach of the Year nominee Michael Haycock.Cuddy holds a level three coaching badge and has been a first team member for the past 11 years while also being a former manager of the Irish U-18 set-up.
* A large volume of comments have requested news of transfers to be posted. To this end, I will post stories of confirmed moves if I receive official word from clubs that registration has been completed.
At this stage, a reasonable amount of movement of players has been agreed but The Hook's policy is not to post stories until transfers have been fully completed and verified.
As hockey in Ireland is an amateur sport with a tight-knit community, rumours of potential transfers between Leinster clubs are strictly not allowed on the site due to the potential harm they could cause. If your club has completed the registration on new signings and would like to publicise them, please email stevie_findlats@yahoo.com.
19 comments:
Is there anywhere we can see the coming seasons fixtures. The Leinster hockey website is as informative as usual !!!!
I have a couple of the fixtures for the first couple of rounds of the Neville Cup and the leagues not much else. If anyone else has info, drop me an email at stevie_findlats@yahoo.com
Great coup for Rovers and Irish Hockey to get an invite like this.
Other teams competing in 2010 are:
Waterloo Ducks (BEL)
Azzurri Kelburne (SCO)
Amsterdam (NED)
Club de Campo (ESP)
Pedralbes (ESP)
Princess R.C. Polo (ESP)
The tournament can be followed at http://www.hockeyreyes.com/
Rovers could be very weak this season.
Doubt it... like every club there'll be players out and players in from season to season... it's all relative to everyone else in the end.
Rovers have strength in depth.
I have to disagree with you 'Queso'. Any team losing full internationals in the Leinster league will be weakened. Considering they didnt challenge for honours in the season just gone with these players,i predict Rovers will not challenge this season without them.
a touch of bias maybe Queso? I think all teams are going to struggle vs Glens and Pembroke as they've both been on recruitment drives. I wont mention any names Steven!! Its up to Rovers, Monkstown, Corinthian, Ymca and Fingal to train their asses off and put pressure on the 2 best sides in the country but make no mistakes both are beatable. Glens are an ageing side with very little coming through from colts (except Shane) and Pembroke whilst strong dont like when teams get in their face.
think that Rovers did challenged for the IHL thoug, easily getting the best of Bann and Cork C of I and just shy of a drag-flicker against Pembroke in the semi-finals - decent enough challenge put in there!
do agree that this could be a transition season for Rovers, six underage internationals may not be fully ready just yet but could be a decent time to get a bit more on-pitch experience.
Great to see the league is getting more competitive year on year.I think the race for IHL places could be alot less straight forward than many predict!
what if rovers attracht several players from abroad?
i heard the new dutch coach has quite some contacts abroad and is still busy assembling a decent squad.
Ask YM about underage internationals --plenty of them but few really make it to highest level and boss in Div 1--Ian W is the only exception. Players need intensive training and games at the highest level ( IHL +) throughout the season if they are to have any chance of progressing to the senior national team--yes there are some very limited exceptions and they get fewer year on year.
Also underage players can at best operate up front to give a rest to senior players--they lack the strength, endurance and ball pace to play full games in midfield or at the back.
Some of the top teams will only use younger players for a few minutes at a time or for longer against the lower teams --to blood them in gently and rightly so.
Rovers cannot expect U 16 internationals to fill a gap next season --it will take 2-3 years at least .
6.19, think you just agreed with my point, good time to give them a bit of pitch time if there is space in the squad...
I think there is always stuff going behind the scenes in all the clubs in Leinster and even more so this year. So we really need to wait until mid/end of September to see what each club has come up with cause I'd say there may be a good few shocks this season. If rovers really are relying on these young lads I think they may struggle alot this year.
I think there is always stuff going behind the scenes in all the clubs in Leinster and even more so this year. So we really need to wait until mid/end of September to see what each club has come up with cause I'd say there may be a good few shocks this season. If rovers really are relying on these young lads I think they may struggle alot this year.
rovers probably will loose 2/3internationals next year, id say they will do more recruitin then the likes of the glens and pembroke. predict that they wont be as bad as everyone thinks, also they have a drag flick next year.
its going to be a good year for leinster hockey once again. long may it continue
Interesting appointment! Is S Cuddy going in as assistant or head coach, or is a similar situation that c'town had before with hamilton and haycock? What experience does Cuddy have at coaching at this level? He has his level 3 badge, but doesn't have any experience at senior men level to my knowledge, only with underage boys (teams). He's going to have to find someone who can finish short corners, as that was a major downfall for them last season and also needs more pace up front. Have they any new signings/retirements announced? Is hamilton taking a break or is he going to coach another premiership side? All seems a big gamble from the 'best team in the north'?? any other news on coaching appointments in the north stevie?
the lineup seems like its going to be very competitive, brilliant for rovers considering they didnt make it to ehl. in fact, they could end up playing more better teams than the glens and pembroke. best of luck!
To 11:46am - according to www.theulsterhockeyblog.blogspot.com Mark Tumilty will coach Bann next year, that site would be your best bet for Ulster coaching updates.
Stephen Cuddy will be taking on a co-coaching role in a similar manner to last season.
i dont think the league will be more competitive at all. Pembroke and Glens as a result of getting into EHL have been cherry picking players from other teams and will be stronger whilst others below them are losing players. I've heard YM have got Ozzies in but other than that havent heard much. It'll be interesting from 3rd to about 7th but top 2 will be boring. Although i see 2nd game of the season has Pembroke travelling to Tallaght. Interesting start...
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